Phillies Sue to Block Phanatic From Becoming ‘Free Agent’

Phillies Sue to Block Phanatic From Becoming ‘Free Agent’
The Phillie Phanatic entertains some fans in the seventh inning during a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on Apr. 16, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pa. The Nationals won 8-1. Hunter Martin/Getty Images
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NEW YORK—The Philadelphia Phillies have sued the New York company that created the Phanatic mascot to prevent the green furry fan favorite from becoming “a free agent.”

In a complaint filed Aug. 2 in U.S. district court in Manhattan, the team alleged the company Harrison/Erickson threatened to terminate the Phillies’ rights to the mascot next year unless the team renegotiated its 1984 agreement.